Consumer Protection Agency Acts Against Disney+ for Subscription Access

The Consumer Protection Agency in North Rhine-Westphalia recently issued a warning to Disney+ over concerns related to access restrictions with recent price increases. It appears that when existing subscribers’ subscriptions were set to expire, they were shown a pop-up notification informing them of an upcoming price hike. Users had to choose to either accept the new price or cancel their subscription, without the ability to dismiss the notification. This caused the agency to raise red flags about how users were pressured into making a decision without being able to easily navigate the system.

In Germany, service providers are required to get explicit consent from customers before raising subscription prices on active accounts. Attempts to do so without proper consent have been deemed unlawful in the past. Typically, streaming services notify users of price changes via email, assuming no response denotes rejection and cancels the subscription. Disney+ likely used an in-app pop-up in hopes of ensuring users were aware of the impending changes, but without the option to exit out, it caused some trouble.

Iwona Husemann, a lawyer at the Consumer Protection Agency, emphasized that consumers should not face barriers that force them to accept changes in their subscription contracts. Blocking access to paid content until new terms are agreed upon is seen as problematic. The agency is looking for Disney+ to improve their approach while respecting the rights of their subscribers, aiming to make sure that users are fully informed and able to make choices without feeling pressured.